Trump's approval rating drops, more voters say he's hurt the economy: new poll

President Donald Trump's approval rating dropped in a new NBC News poll , and more voters criticized his handling of the economy, as the closely watched midterm elections approach.

Trump's approval rating hit a second-term low in the poll at 41% among registered voters, and 55% of voters said they think his policies have hurt the economy. The survey was released on Sept. 20.

In March, 48% of voters told NBC that they believe Trump has hurt the economy, and they ranked the cost of living as their most pressing issue facing the nation in March and September. NBC pollsters noted that the ongoing Iran war has driven up gasoline prices and other costs.

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In all, Democrats in the latest survey wielded a 5-point lead in the battle for control of Congress – 50%-45% when respondents were asked who they'd prefer to control Capitol Hill. Still, that's down from their 12-point advantage in NBC polling at this point during the 2018 election cycle.

Democrats are also seen more negatively than Trump and the GOP, two years after former Vice President Kamala Harris lost the 2024 presidential race. Thirty-six percent of voters said they have a positive view of the GOP, while 49% said they have a negative view. Among Democrats, voters split 29% positive to 50% negative.

November's races are crucial for both parties as Democrats go on offense in a series of redder Senate races in states including Alaska, Iowa, Kansas North Carolina, Ohio and Texas. The party is also hoping to win back the House, which could be a roadblock for Trump: In the 2018 midterms, Democrats flipped the chamber in a "blue wave."

The incumbent president's party usually faces rough headwinds during midterm elections. NBC noted that Republicans trailed Democrats in the survey on who would better handle the key issue of inflation (31%-38%) and the economy (38%-39%). Additionally, more than 6 in 10 voters say the Iran war has not been worth it.

The NBC poll, which surveyed 1,000 registered voters via telephone and online from Sept. 11-15, has a margin of error of +/- three percentage points.